Pulling grips for installing a fiber optic assembly

ABSTRACT

Pulling grips for installing a fiber optic assembly are disclosed. The pulling grip includes a pulling grip housing for receiving part of a fiber optic assembly therein. The pulling grip may also include a pulling grip sleeve and/or pulling sock. In one embodiment, the pulling grip housing has a friction fit with the pulling grip sleeve when assembled, thereby inhibiting rotation therebetween. Consequently, the friction fit advantageously inhibits twisting of the fiber optic assembly when installing the same using the pulling grip. In this manner, the pulling grip housing can easily be insert into the pulling grip sleeve and removed when pulling of a fiber optic assembly is completed. The pulling grip housing, pulling grip sleeve, and/or pulling sock may also be reused for pulling other fiber optic assemblies.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/197,068 Oct. 23, 2008 titled “High Density DataCenter Hardware, Assemblies, and Components,” which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety. The present application also claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/190,538 Aug.29, 2008 titled “High Density Data Center Hardware, Assemblies, andComponents,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present application is a Continuation-in-Part (CIP) of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/324,279 filed on Nov. 26, 2008 and titled“Pulling Grip Assembly for a Fiber Optic Assembly,” which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present application is also related to U.S. Pat. No. 8,301,004titled “Fiber Optic Cable Assemblies Employing A Furcation Body HavingAnti-Rotation Feature,” and also related to U.S. Pat. No. 7,903,925titled “Fiber Optic Furcation Assembly Having Feature(s) For CableManagement,” which are both incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The technology of the disclosure relates to a pulling grip forinstalling a fiber optic assembly. The pulling grip may be used to pulla fiber optic assembly into position during installation.

2. Technical Background

Benefits of optical fiber use include extremely wide bandwidth and lownoise operation. Because of these advantages, optical fiber isincreasingly being used for a variety of applications, including but notlimited to broadband voice, video, and data transmission. As a result,fiber optic communications networks include a number of interconnectionpoints at which multiple optical fibers are interconnected such as indata centers at racks, patch panels, and the like. Other interconnectionpoints can include, but are not limited to, network access point (NAP)enclosures, aerial closures, below grade closures, pedestals, opticalnetwork terminals (ONTs) and network interface devices (NIDs). By way ofexample, interconnections points in the data center occur between truckcables and distribution cables in an equipment rack or the like. Inorder to cost effectively and rapidly deploy a data center network, itis desirable to terminate the optical fibers of the cables in acontrolled factory environment, thereby forming a high-quality plug andplay assembly.

Fiber optic cables having optical fibers terminated to fiber opticconnectors at the factory are referred to herein as “preconnectorized.”Preconnectorized cables permit connectivity in the field withoutremoving the jacket of the distribution cable, polishing ferrules andthe like, and thereby exposing the optical fibers to adverseenvironmental conditions, such as moisture, dirt, or dust. Use ofpreconnectorized cables in a fiber optic communications network canpresent certain challenges. First, a terminated end of thepreconnectorized cable often times must be pulled to a desired locationduring installation through relatively tight spaces and/or smalldiameter conduits.

Thus, a terminated end of the fiber optic cable can be provided within apulling grip. A furcation plug of a fiber optic assembly and furcatedlegs extending from the furcation plug are placed inside the pullinggrip prior to pulling. When pulled, the pulling grip is capable oftransferring a high tensile load to the fiber optic cable withoutinducing relative movement between the furcated legs, the furcationplug, and the fiber optic cable. However, the loading of theconventional pulling grip housings can be labor intensive, because thefiber optic components are typically loaded one at a time in the pullinggrip. Thus, fiber optic cables are typically outfitted with a pullinggrip in the factory and used for an individual fiber optic cableassembly.

SUMMARY OF THE DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments disclosed in the detailed description include pulling gripassemblies or simply a pulling grip for installing a fiber opticassembly. In one embodiment, the pulling grip is comprised of a pullinggrip housing for receiving part of a fiber optic assembly. A pullinggrip sleeve is also provided. When assembled, one disclosed embodimenthas a portion of the pulling grip housing is inserted into a portion ofthe pulling grip sleeve forming a friction fit therebetween. In thismanner, the pulling grip housing is easily inserted into the pullinggrip sleeve and easily, removed when pulling of a fiber optic assemblyis completed. Moreover, the friction fit inhibits rotation of thepulling grip housing and the fiber optic assembly relative to thepulling grip sleeve when installing the fiber optic assembly, therebyinhibiting twisting of the fiber optic assembly during installation. Apulling sock is positioned and secured over the pulling grip sleeve andpulling grip housing for applying the pulling force to the assembly. Thepulling grip housing, pulling grip sleeve, and/or pulling sock can alsoadvantageously be reused for pulling other fiber optic assemblies. Otherembodiments can include a locking feature between the pulling griphousing and the pulling grip sleeve.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe detailed description which follows, and in part will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognizedby practicing the invention as described herein, including the detaileddescription that follows, the claims, as well as the appended drawings.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description present embodiments of the invention,and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understandingthe nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. Theaccompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding ofthe invention, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of thisspecification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of theinvention, and together with the description serve to explain theprinciples and operation of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of an exemplary pulling gripreceiving an exemplary fiber optic assembly;

FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective view of the fiber optic assembly ofFIG. 1 inserted into an internal compartment of the pulling griphousing;

FIG. 3 is a close-up perspective view of the pulling grip housingsecured to the pulling grip sleeve of the pulling grip of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A is a perspective exploded view of the pulling grip of FIG. 1illustrating the pulling grip sleeve comprised of a plurality ofremovably attachable pulling grip sleeve sections;

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the pulling grip of FIG. 1 illustratingthe pulling grip sleeve comprised of a single pulling grip sleevesection;

FIGS. 5A-5C are perspective views of alternate pulling grip sleeve endportions having alternate pulling features, respectively;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the pulling grip of FIG. 1 inserted intoa pulling sock;

FIG. 7A is a perspective exploded view of another exemplary pulling gripreceiving an exemplary fiber optic assembly;

FIG. 7B is a perspective exploded view of the pulling grip of FIG. 7Aillustrating the pulling grip sleeve comprised of a plurality ofremovably attachable pulling grip sleeve sections;

FIG. 8 is a perspective exploded view of another exemplary pulling gripreceiving an exemplary fiber optic assembly;

FIG. 9 is a close-up perspective view of the fiber optic assembly ofFIG. 8 inserted into an internal compartment of the pulling griphousing;

FIG. 10 is a close-up perspective view of the pulling grip housingsecured to the pulling grip sleeve of the pulling grip of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a perspective exploded view of the pulling grip of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the pulling grip housing secured to thepulling grip sleeve of the pulling grip of FIG. 8;

FIG. 13A is a perspective view of an alternate pulling grip having analternate housing locking feature and sleeve locking feature;

FIGS. 13B and 13C are front and top views, respectively, of the pullinggrip housing in FIG. 13A;

FIG. 13D is a front view of the pulling grip sleeve in FIG. 13A;

FIGS. 14A and 14B are perspective views of an alternate pulling griphaving an alternate housing locking feature and sleeve grip lockingfeature;

FIG. 14C is a side view of the pulling grip of FIGS. 14A and 14B,respectively, aligned with each other;

FIG. 14D is a front view of the pulling grip sleeve of FIG. 14B withouta received pulling grip housing;

FIG. 14E is a front view of the pulling grip sleeve of FIG. 14Breceiving the pulling grip housing of FIG. 14A;

FIGS. 15A and 15B are side perspective views of alternate lockingfeatures for a pulling grip;

FIG. 16 is a front view of an alternative pulling grip housing;

FIG. 17 is a perspective exploded view of another pulling grip; and

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the pulling grip of FIG. 17 placedwithin a pulling sock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention areshown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms andshould not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein;rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure willsatisfy applicable legal requirements. Whenever possible, like referencenumbers will be used to refer to like components or parts.

Embodiments disclosed in the detailed description include pulling gripassemblies for a fiber optic assembly. In one embodiment, the pullinggrip is comprised of a pulling grip housing that defines an internalcavity for receiving part of a fiber optic assembly. A pulling gripsleeve is also provided that defines an internal chamber. The pullinggrip housing and pulling grip sleeve are secured together using one ormore locking features. The pulling grip housing has at least one housinglocking feature. The pulling grip sleeve has at least one sleeve lockingfeature suitable for cooperating with the housing locking feature forsecuring the pulling grip housing to the pulling grip sleeve. In thismanner, the pulling grip housing is quickly and easily secured to thepulling grip sleeve and removed when pulling of a fiber optic assemblyis completed. The pulling grip housing and pulling grip sleeve can alsobe reused for pulling other fiber optic assemblies. Thus, eachindividual fiber optic assembly need not have a dedicated pulling grip,but instead the terminated end of the fiber optic assembly is packagedfor quickly and easily fitting within the pulling grip sleeve, but ifdesired each fiber optic assembly may have its own pulling grip. Thefiber optic assembly may include a fiber optic cable and a furcationplug receiving the fiber optic cable.

In this regard, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary pulling grip 10. Asillustrated therein, the pulling grip 10 is shown as receiving a fiberoptic assembly 11. The pulling grip 10 is designed to pull the fiberoptic assembly 11, such as during an installation, without damaging orminimizing the risk of damage to the fiber optic assembly 11. In thisembodiment, the fiber optic assembly 11 is comprised of a fiber opticcable 12 furcated into one or more furcated legs 14 inside a furcationplug 16 receiving the fiber optic cable 12. However, note that thepulling grip 10 can be used to pull any type of fiber optic assembly orcomponent and is not limited to a fiber optic assembly that includes afurcation plug. In this embodiment, an end cap 17 is secured to thefurcation plug 16 adjacent the fiber optic cable 12. The end cap 17 issecured via a latch 19 designed to receive a latch finger 21 disposed inthe furcation plug 16. The same latch structure may also be disposed onthe opposite side of the end cap 17 and furcation plug 16, which is notshown in FIG. 2. As discussed in more detail below, the pulling grip 10includes a pulling grip sleeve 18 having an annular cross-section 23that receives an end portion of the fiber optic assembly 10 and thefurcation plug 16 and the furcated legs 14. In this embodiment, thepulling grip sleeve 18 does not close around the fiber optic assembly 10or directly receive the furcation plug 16. The pulling grip sleeve 18receives a portion of the pulling grip housing 20 that is disposed aboutand closed around the furcation plug 16. In this manner, when thepulling grip sleeve 18 is pulled, the pulling force is translated to thepulling grip housing 20, which then translates the pulling force to thefurcation plug 16 wherein the strength elements of the fiber optic cable12 may be located. By way of example, the pulling grip can be rated fora 100 pound pulling force, but other ratings are possible.

In this embodiment, the pulling grip housing 20 is comprised of a firsthousing portion 22 that is configured to mate with a second housingportion 24. An internal cavity 26 is formed inside the pulling griphousing 20 when the first housing portion 22 is mated with the secondhousing portion 24. The internal cavity 26 is provided to receive thefurcation plug 16 for pulling the fiber optic cable 12 when the pullinggrip housing 20 is secured to the pulling grip sleeve 18. The firsthousing portion 22 is mated to the second housing portion 24 viaprotrusions 28 and grooves 30 disposed within a top portion 32 of thesecond housing portion 24. The first housing portion 22 containscomplementary grooves and protrusions (not shown) that connect to theprotrusions 28 and grooves 30 in the second housing portion 24,respectively, when the first housing portion 22 is disposed over top thesecond housing portion 22 and the complementary protrusions andcomplementary grooves are aligned. In other embodiments, the firsthousing portion 22 may be hingedly attached to the second housingportion 24 so that the housing portions 22, 24 are not dislocated fromother as well.

As further illustrated in FIG. 1, both the first housing portion 22 andthe second housing portion 24 of the pulling grip housing 20 comprisefirst ends 34, 37, respectively, and second ends 36, 38, respectively.When the first housing portion 22 is mated to the second housing portion24, the first ends 34, 37 fit together to define a first opening 39 inthe pulling grip housing 20. The second ends 36, 38 fit together todefine a second opening 40 in the pulling grip housing 20 opposite fromthe first ends 34, 37. The internal cavity 26 is formed by internalcompartments 41, 43 disposed within the first housing portion 22 and thesecond housing portion 24, respectively. The furcation plug 16 isreceived in the pulling grip housing 20 such that it is disposed in theinternal cavity 26 and in the internal compartments 41, 43 when thefirst housing portion 22 is mated to the second housing portion 24. As aresult, the fiber optic cable 12 extends through the first opening 39,and the furcated legs 14 extend out of the second opening 40 and intothe pulling grip sleeve 18 when secured to the pulling grip housing 20.The pulling grip sleeve 18 protects the furcated legs 14 from beingdamaged during the pulling of the fiber optic assembly 11. The pullinggrip sleeve 18 may be provided to receive one or more furcated legs 14that are any suitable shape and/or size. By way of example, furcatedlegs 14 may have diameters that include, without limitation, 900micrometers (μm), 1.65 millimeters (mm), 2.0 mm, 2.4 mm, and 2.9 mm ornon-round shapes for ribbons or the like.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the furcation plug 16 is inserted into thepulling grip housing 20, and more particularly, the internal cavity 26of the second housing portion 24 when being prepared to be pulled by thepulling grip 10. As will be described in more detail below, after thefurcation plug 16 is inserted into the internal cavity 26, the firsthousing portion 22 is mated on top of the second housing portion 24 tosecure the furcation plug 16 inside the pulling grip housing 20. Thepulling grip housing 20 is then secured to the pulling grip sleeve 18,wherein the pulling grip sleeve 18 can be pulled to to install the fiberoptic cable 12 and/or fiber optic assembly 11.

The second housing portion 24 and its internal cavity 26 also providefor receiving an attachment feature of the furcation plug 16. Theattachment feature is provided in the form of an attachment bracket 44in the fiber optic assembly 11 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Asdiscussed in co-pending U.S. patent application titled “Optical FiberFurcation Devices and Methods Having Anti-Rotation Feature” previouslyreferenced above, the attachment bracket 44 is configured to fit aroundthe furcation plug 16. The attachment bracket 44 facilitates mounting ofthe furcation plug 16 to a mounting surface in fiber optic equipment(not shown) when pulling is completed and the fiber optic assembly 11 isinstalled in the fiber optic equipment. As illustrated in FIG. 1, theattachment bracket 44 contains attachment devices in the form ofplungers 46A, 46B disposed in attachment platforms 48A, 48B secured tothe attachment bracket 44. Thus, when the furcation plug 16 is mountedon a mounting surface, the attachment bracket 44 can be disposed aroundthe furcation body 16 and the plungers 46A, 46B inserted into aperturesin the mounting surface to secure the furcation plug 16 to the mountingsurface.

In this regard, the internal cavity 26 of the pulling grip housing 20 isalso designed to receive the attachment bracket 44 and the plungers 46A,46B disposed with the attachment platforms 48A, 48B of the attachmentbracket 44 when receiving the furcation plug 16. The internal cavity 26is molded into the pulling grip housing 20 of similar complementarygeometry as the furcation plug 16 with the attachment bracket 44 and theplungers 46A, 46B disposed in the attachment platforms 48A, 48B of theattachment bracket 44. Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, anotched portion 50 disposed in the furcation plug 16 and configured toreceive the attachment bracket 44 fits between protruding surfaces 52A,52B disposed within the internal cavity 26. The internal cavity 26 alsocontains portions 54A, 54B to also receive the attachment platforms 48A,48B of the attachment bracket 44.

Providing for the pulling grip housing 20 to retain both the furcationplug 16 as well as its attachment feature(s) may provide severalfeatures. First, it can reduce the likelihood of the attachment bracket44 being separated and/or lost from the furcation plug 16 during pullingof the fiber optic assembly 11. Further, including the attachmentbracket 44 in the pulling grip housing 20 can assist in resistingrotational forces placed on the fiber optic cable 12 as a result ofrotational forces applied to the pulling grip 10. For example, theinternal cavity 26 provides for receiving the attachment bracket 44 withits attachment platforms 48A, 48B and plungers 46A, 46B, wherein oneplunger 46A is disposed on an opposite side and opposite end of thefurcation plug 16 from the other plunger 46B. This arrangement increasesthe surface area contact between the furcation plug 16 and the pullinggrip housing 20. Increasing the surface area increases the torque forcerequired to rotate the furcation plug 16 and thus the fiber opticassembly 11. Thus, when a rotational force is placed on the pulling grip10, an increased amount of torque is required to translate therotational force onto the fiber optic cable 12. In this regard,providing a pulling grip housing 20 that can receive an attachmentfeature for the furcation plug 16 provides an anti-rotation feature.Additionally, other suitable furcation plugs having at least one planarsurface may also provide an anti-rotation feature. Additionally,although the pulling grip housing is shown accommodating an attachmentbracket this is not necessary; in other words, the pulling grip housingcan simply fit a portion of the furcation plug therein. Moreover, thepulling grip housing can be designed to accommodate any suitable shapefor the furcation plug such as round, square, hexagonal, round with aflat-side, triangular, etc.

Once the furcation plug 16 and any attachment feature, such as theattachment bracket 44, and any attachment device(s), such as theplungers 46A, 46B, are disposed in the internal cavity 26 of the pullinggrip housing 20, the pulling grip housing 20 can be closed before beingsecured to the pulling grip sleeve 18. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2,the pulling grip housing 20 is closed by mating the first housingportion 22 with the second housing portion 24 with the furcation plug 16and any of its attachments disposed inside the internal cavity 26. Aspreviously discussed, the first housing portion 22 is mated to thesecond housing portion 24 via protrusions 28 and grooves 30 disposedwithin the top portion 32 of the second housing portion 24. The firsthousing portion 22 contains complementary grooves and protrusions (notshown) that couple to the protrusions 28 and grooves 30 in the secondhousing portion 24, respectfully. However, any other attachment deviceor means can be used.

After the furcation plug 16 and attachment bracket 44 are secured insidethe pulling grip housing 20, the pulling grip housing 20 can be insertedand received into the pulling grip sleeve 18 as illustrated in FIG. 3.In this manner, a pulling force applied to the pulling grip sleeve 18will transfer the tensile load to the fiber optic cable 12. FIG. 3illustrates a close-up view of the pulling grip housing 20 inserted andreceived into the internal chamber 56 (illustrated in FIG. 2) of thepulling grip sleeve 18 which is annular-shaped. The pulling grip housing20 is secured to the pulling grip sleeve 18 via locking featuresdisposed in both the pulling grip housing 20 and pulling grip sleeve 18that are configured to cooperate with each other. In this regard, and asillustrated in FIGS. 2-3, housing locking features 57 in the form ofprotrusions 58 are disposed in the pulling grip housing 20. The pullinggrip housing 20 includes an outer body 60 of the first housing portion22 and an outer body 62 of the second housing portion 24. One or moreprotrusions 58 can be provided in one or more of the outer bodies 60,62. Each protrusion 58 is configured to be inserted into a sleevelocking feature 63 in the form of a locking channel 64 disposed in anouter body 66 of the pulling grip sleeve 18. A plurality of lockingchannels 64 may be provided and disposed within the pulling grip sleeve18 to cooperate with a plurality of protrusions 58 disposed in the outerbodies 60, 62 of the pulling grip housing 20.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the locking channels 64 are provided in theform of U-shaped channels, although any other form of channels may beprovided such as J-shaped channels or the like. Additionally, althoughlocking channels 64 are shown extending entirely through the sleeve wallother embodiments can have the locking channels 64 within the sleevewall (i.e., not fully extending through the sleeve wall), which improvesthe hoop strength of the pulling grip sleeve. The pulling grip housing20 is inserted into the internal chamber 56 of the pulling grip sleeve18 such that the protrusions 58 line up with openings 68 of the lockingchannels 64. The pulling grip housing 20 is then pushed forward into theinternal chamber 56 of the pulling grip sleeve 18 until the protrusions58 reach a first section 70 of the locking channels 64. To interlock thepulling grip housing 20 with the pulling grip sleeve 18, the pullinggrip housing 20 is rotated clockwise through a second portion 71 of thelocking channel 64, wherein the pulling grip housing 20 and itsprotrusion 58 are then pulled forward in a third portion 72 of thelocking channel 64. Opposing protrusions 74A, 74B are disposed withinthe third portion 72 of the locking channel 64 such that the internaldiameter D₁ along the axis of the protrusions 74A, 74B, is less than theouter diameter D₂ of the protrusion 58. In this manner, when the pullinggrip housing 20 is pulled forward when the protrusions 58 are in thethird portion 72 of the locking channel 64, the protrusions 58 slip pastthe protrusions 74A, 74B at an end portion 76 of the locking channel 64to secure the pulling grip housing 20 to the pulling grip sleeve 18 in atension fit. In this arrangement, the pulling grip housing 20 can alsoeasily be removed from the pulling grip sleeve 18 at any time desired bypushing the pulling grip housing 20 into the pulling grip sleeve 18 suchthat the force causes the protrusions 58 to slip past the protrusions74A, 74B in the third portion 72 of the locking channel 64 to unlock thepulling grip housing 20 from the pulling grip sleeve 18. Thus, in thisarrangement, no fasteners are required to lock and release the pullinggrip housing 20 from the pulling grip sleeve 18.

FIG. 4A illustrates an exploded perspective view of the pulling grip 10and one embodiment of the pulling grip sleeve 18. As illustratedtherein, the pulling grip sleeve 18 may be provided in a plurality ofremovably attachable pulling grip sleeve sections 18A, 18B.Alternatively, the pulling grip sleeve may be provided as single section18, as illustrated in FIG. 4B. Providing the pulling grip sleeve 18 intothe plurality of pulling grip sleeve sections 18A, 18B, as illustratedin FIG. 4A, may provide for more convenient shipping or storage of thepulling grip sleeve 18 since the pulling grip sleeve 18 can be brokendown into smaller pulling grip sections 18A, 18B. As illustrated in FIG.4A, one or more pulling grip sleeve sections 18B are secured togetherwith the sleeve locking feature 63 disposed in first ends 80A, 80B ofthe pulling grip sleeves 18A, 18B. The sleeve locking feature 63 isconfigured and operates as previously described. The pulling grip sleevesections 18B also contain a sleeve locking feature 82 in the form ofprotrusions 84 disposed on the outer body 66B on a second end 86Bopposite the first end 80B. The protrusions 84 are configured tointerlock with locking channels 64 disposed in the outer body 66A, 66Bof the front end 80A, 80B of an adjacent pulling grip sleeve section18A, 18B. The pulling grip sleeve section 18B adjacent the pulling griphousing 20 is configured to interlock with the protrusions 58 disposedin the pulling grip housing 20 as previously described. In this manner,the pulling grip sleeve sections 18A, 18B are removable from each otherunlocking the protrusions 58 from the locking channels 64.

The pulling grip sleeve section 18A does not contain protrusions 84,because it is located on the end of the pulling grip sleeve 18 andtherefore does not need to be mated with any other pulling grip sleevesections 18B. However, a pulling feature 88 is provided on the secondend 86A of the pulling grip sleeve section 18A to allow a rope, string,or other device to attach to the pulling grip sleeve section 18A to pullthe entire pulling grip sleeve 18 when assembled and thus the fiberoptic cable 12 as desired. In this example, the pulling feature 88 isprovided in the form of a pulling eye 90; however, other variations canbe provided. FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate alternative pulling features 88.FIG. 5A illustrates a collar 92 disposed in the pulling grip sleeve 18as the pulling feature 88. The collar 92 is formed by provided an endsection 94 at the second end 86 having a larger outer diameter than asecond section 96 attached to the end section 94. In this manner, thecollar 92 is formed where the end section 94 attaches to the secondsection 96. A rope or other pulling device 98 is looped tight below thecollar 92 such that inner diameter of the pulling device 98 is smallerthan the outer diameter of the end section 94. In this manner, when thepulling device 98 is pulled, the pulling device 98 abuts against thecollar 92 to prevent the pulling device 98 from slipping over the collar92, thus applying a pulling force on the pulling grip sleeve 18.

FIGS. 5B and 5C illustrate alternate pulling features 88. FIG. 5Billustrates a neck down 100 pulling feature. The neck down 100 is formedby provide a smaller diameter section 102 in the outer body 66 of thepulling grip sleeve 18 between a first end 80 and a second end 86 havinglarger outer diameters than the smaller diameter section 102. In thismanner, the neck down 100 is formed in the pulling grip sleeve 18. Arope or other pulling device 98 is looped tight around the smallerdiameter section 102 such that inner diameter of the pulling device 98is smaller than the outer diameter of the second end 86. In this manner,when pulling device 98 is pulled, the pulling device 98 is pulledagainst the second end 86 to pull the pulling grip sleeve 18. FIG. 5Cillustrates a pulling loop 104 pulling feature. The pulling loop 104 isformed by providing a loop section 105 in the second end 86 of the outerbody 66 of the pulling grip sleeve 18. A rope or other pulling device 98is looped inside the pulling loop 104. In this manner, when the pullingdevice 98 is pulled, the pulling loop 104 and the pulling grip sleeve 18are pulled.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, a pulling sock 106 may also be provided andplaced over the pulling grip sleeve 18 to further facilitate pulling ofthe pulling grip 10. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the pulling sock 106 isdisposed over the pulling grip sleeve 18 disposed therein. The pullingsock 106 comprises a front conical portion 108 that is shapedessentially like the front portion of the pulling grip housing 20 whenthe first housing portion 22 is mated to the second housing portion 24.The pulling sock 106 contains an opening 110 to allow the fiber opticcable 12 to pass therethrough while retaining the pulling grip housing20 inside the pulling sock 106. A pulling sock loop 112 is disposed on asecond end 114 of the pulling sock 106 to facilitate pulling of thepulling grip sleeve 18 and thus the fiber optic cable 12. The pullingsock 106 may comprise a zipper 115 or other attachment means (not shown)such that it can be opened and disposed around the pulling grip sleeve18 and the pulling grip housing 20. The pulling sock 106 may beconstructed out of any material, including but not limited to a polymer,metal, filament, and provided in any form, including but not limited toa solid material, mesh, and composite.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an alternate exemplary pulling grip 10′. Thepulling grip 10′ is similar to the pulling grip 10 of FIGS. 1-4B.However, an alternate pulling grip housing 20′ is provided that does notprovide for the an attachment feature or securing devices for thefurcation plug 16′ to be cradled along with a furcation plug 16′ orother furcation body. More specifically, internal compartments 41′, 43′of the pulling grip housing 20′ do not include compartments for theattachment bracket 44 and the plungers 46A, 46B for the furcation plug16 in FIGS. 1-4B. Further, a pulling grip sleeve 18 is provided as aone-piece mold similar to the pulling grip sleeve shown in FIG. 4B. Thepulling sock 106 provided in FIG. 6 may also be employed with thepulling grip 10′ to facilitate pulling of the fiber optic cable 22.Notwithstanding these differences, the previous descriptions of thepulling grip housing 20 and pulling grip sleeves 18 in FIGS. 1-4B areapplicable to the pulling grip 10′ in FIGS. 7A and 7B. Similar elementsare noted with the same element numbers appended with a single quotationmark (′). Common elements are noted with the same element numberswithout a single quotation mark (′).

FIGS. 8-11 illustrate an alternate exemplary pulling grip 120 that maybe employed to pull a fiber optic assembly 121. As illustrated in FIG.8, the pulling grip 120 is shown as receiving the fiber optic assembly121. The pulling grip 120 is designed to pull the fiber optic assembly121, such as during an installation, without damaging or minimizing therisk of damage to the fiber optic assembly 121. Like the fiber opticassembly 11 of FIG. 1, the fiber optic assembly 121 of FIG. 8 iscomprised of a fiber optic cable 122 furcated into one or more furcatedlegs 124 inside a furcation plug 126 receiving the fiber optic cable122. As discussed in more detail below, the pulling grip 120 includes aone-piece pulling grip sleeve 128 having an annular cross-section 129that receives an end portion of the fiber optic assembly 121 and thefurcation plug 126 and the furcated legs 124. In this embodiment, thepulling grip sleeve 128 does not close around the fiber optic assembly121 or directly receive the furcation plug 126. The pulling grip sleeve128 receives a portion of the pulling grip housing 130 that is disposedabout and closed around the furcation plug 126. The pulling grip housing130 receives and secures the furcation plug 126. In this manner, whenthe pulling grip sleeve 128 is pulled, the pulling force is translatedto the pulling grip housing 130, which then translates the pulling forceto the furcation plug 126 where the strength elements of the fiber opticcable 122 may be located.

In this embodiment, the pulling grip housing 130 is comprised of a firsthousing portion 132 that is configured to mate with a second housingportion 134. An internal cavity 136 is formed inside the pulling griphousing 130 when the first housing portion 132 is mated with the secondhousing portion 134. The internal cavity 136 is provided to receive thefurcation plug 126 for pulling the fiber optic cable 122 when thepulling grip housing 130 is secured to the pulling grip sleeve 128. Thefirst housing portion 132 is mated to the second housing portion 134 viaprotrusions 138 and grooves 140 disposed within a top portion 142 of thesecond housing portion 134. The first housing portion 132 containscomplementary grooves and protrusions (not shown) that connect to theprotrusions 138 and grooves 140 in the second housing portion 134,respectively, when the first housing portion 132 is disposed over topthe second housing portion 134 and the complementary protrusions andcomplementary grooves are aligned.

As further illustrated in FIG. 8, both the first housing portion 132 andthe second housing portion 134 of the pulling grip housing 130 comprisefirst ends 144, 146, respectively, and second ends 147, 148,respectively. When the first housing portion 132 is mated to the secondhousing portion 134, the first ends 144, 146 fit together to define afirst opening 149 in the pulling grip housing 130. The second ends 147,148 fit together to define a second opening 150 in the pulling griphousing 130 opposite from the first ends 144, 146. An internal cavity152 disposed within the pulling grip housing 130 is also formed when thefirst housing portion 132 is mated with the second housing portion 134.The internal cavity 152 is formed by internal compartments 153, 154disposed within the first housing portion 132 and the second housingportion 134, respectively. The furcation plug 126 is received in thepulling grip housing 130 such that it is disposed in the internal cavity152 and in the internal compartments 153, 154 when the first housingportion 132 is mated to the second housing portion 134. As a result, thefiber optic cable 122 extends through the first opening 149, and thefurcated legs 124 extend out of the second opening 150 and into thepulling grip sleeve 128 when secured to the pulling grip housing 130.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the furcation plug 126 is inserted into thepulling grip housing 130, and more particularly, the internalcompartment 154 of the second housing portion 134 when being prepared tobe pulled by the pulling grip 120. As will be described in more detailbelow, after the furcation plug 126 is inserted into the internalcompartment 154, the first housing portion 132 is mated on top of thesecond housing portion 134 to secure the furcation plug 126 inside thepulling grip housing 130. The pulling grip housing 130 is then securedto the pulling grip sleeve 128, wherein the pulling grip sleeve 128 canbe pulled to pull the fiber optic cable 122.

The second housing portion 134 and its internal compartment 154 alsoprovide for receiving an attachment feature 156 of the furcation plug126. The attachment feature 156 is provided in the form of attachmentplatforms 158A, 158B in the fiber optic assembly 121 as illustrated inFIGS. 8 and 9. As discussed in co-pending U.S. patent application titled“Optical Fiber Furcation Devices and Methods Having Anti-RotationFeature” previously referenced above, the attachment platforms 158A,158B are provided in the furcation plug 126 as a one-piece mold asopposed to a separate attachment feature, such as the attachment bracket44 in the fiber optic assembly 11 of FIG. 1. The attachment platforms158A, 158B facilitate mounting of the furcation plug 126 to a mountingsurface in fiber optic equipment (not shown) when pulling is completedand the fiber optic assembly 121 is installed in the fiber opticequipment. As illustrated in FIG. 8, attachment devices in the form ofplungers 159A, 159B are disposed in the attachment platforms 158A, 158Bof the furcation plug 126. Thus, when the furcation plug 126 is mountedon a mounting surface, the attachment platforms 158A, 158B abut againstthe mounting surface. The plungers 159A, 159B insert into apertures inthe mounting surface to secure the furcation plug 126 to the mountingsurface.

In this regard, the internal cavity 152 of the pulling grip housing 130is also designed to receive the attachment platforms 158A, 158B and theplungers 159A, 159B disposed in the attachment platforms 158A, 158B ofthe furcation plug 126 when receiving the furcation plug 126. Theinternal cavity 152 is provided of similar geometry as the furcationplug 126 with the attachment platforms 158A, 158B and the plungers 159A,159B disposed in the attachment platforms 158A, 158B. Providing for thepulling grip housing 130 to retain the furcation plug 126 as well as itsattachment feature(s) 156 and/or attachment devices may assist inresisting rotational forces placed on the fiber optic cable 122 as aresult of rotational forces applied to the pulling grip 120. Forexample, the internal compartment 154 provides for receiving theattachment platforms 158A, 158B and the plungers 159A, 159B, wherein oneplunger 159A is disposed on an opposite side and opposite end of thefurcation plug 126 from the other plunger 159B. This arrangementincreases the surface area contact between the furcation plug 126 andthe pulling grip housing 130. Increasing the surface area increases thetorque force required to rotate the furcation plug 126 and thus thefiber optic assembly 121. Thus, when a rotational force is placed on thepulling grip 120, an increased amount of torque is required to translatethe rotational force onto the fiber optic cable 122. In this regard,providing a pulling grip housing 130 that can receive an attachmentfeature for the furcation plug 126 provides an anti-rotation feature.

Once the furcation plug 126 and any attachment feature, such as theattachment platforms 158A, 158B, and any attachment device(s), such asthe plungers 159A, 159B, are disposed in the internal cavity 152 of thepulling grip housing 130, the pulling grip housing 130 can be closedbefore being secured to the pulling grip sleeve 128. In the example ofFIGS. 8 and 9, the pulling grip housing 130 is closed by mating thefirst housing portion 132 with the second housing portion 134 with thefurcation plug 126 and any of its attachments disposed inside theinternal cavity 152. As previously discussed, the first housing portion132 is mated to the second housing portion 134 via protrusions 138 andgrooves 140 disposed within the top portion 142 of the second housingportion 134. The first housing portion 132 contains complementarygrooves and protrusions (not shown) that couple to the protrusions 138and grooves 140 in the second housing portion 134, respectively.However, any other attachment device or means can be used.

After the furcation plug 126 and attachment platforms 158A, 158B andplungers 159A, 159B are secured inside the pulling grip housing 130, thepulling grip housing 130 can be inserted into the pulling grip sleeve128. In this manner, a pulling force applied to the pulling grip sleeve128 will transfer the tensile load to the fiber optic cable 122. FIG. 10illustrates a perspective view of the pulling grip housing 130 insertedinto an internal chamber 166 (illustrated in FIG. 9) of the pulling gripsleeve 128. The pulling grip housing 130 is secured to the pulling gripsleeve 128 via locking features disposed in both the pulling griphousing 130 and pulling grip sleeve 128 that are configured to cooperatewith each other just as provided in the pulling grip 130 and illustratedin FIG. 10. In this regard, and as illustrated in FIGS. 9-10, housinglocking features 167 in the form of protrusions 168 are disposed in thepulling grip housing 130. The pulling grip housing 130 includes an outerbody 170 of the first housing portion 132 and an outer body 172 of thesecond housing portion 134. One or more protrusions 168 can be providedin one of the outer bodies 170, 172. Each protrusion 168 is configuredto be inserted into a sleeve locking feature 173 in the form of one ormore locking channels 174 disposed in an outer body 176 of the pullinggrip sleeve 128. A plurality of locking channels 174 may be provided anddisposed within the pulling grip sleeve 128 to cooperate with aplurality of protrusions 168 disposed in the outer bodies 170, 172 ofthe pulling grip housing 130.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, the locking channels 174 are provided in theform of U-shaped channels, although any other form of channels may beprovided. The pulling grip housing 130 is inserted into the internalchamber 166 of the pulling grip sleeve 128 such that the protrusions 168line up with openings 178 of the locking channels 174. The pulling griphousing 130 is then pushed forward into the internal chamber 166 of thepulling grip sleeve 128 until the protrusions 168 reach a first portion180 of the locking channels 174. To interlock the pulling grip housing130 with the pulling grip sleeve 128, the pulling grip housing 130 isrotated clockwise through a second portion 181 of the locking channel174, wherein the pulling grip housing 130 and its protrusion 168 arethen pulled forward in a third portion 182 of the locking channel 174.Opposing protrusions 184A, 184B are disposed within the third portion182 of the locking channel 174 such that the internal diameter D₃ alongthe axis of the protrusions 184A, 184B, is less than the outer diameterD₄ of the protrusion 168. In this manner, when the pulling grip housing130 is pulled forward when the protrusions 168 are in the third portion182 of the locking channel 174, the protrusions 168 slip past theprotrusions 184A, 184B at an end portion 186 of the locking channel 174to secure the pulling grip housing 130 to the pulling grip sleeve 128 ina tension fit. In this arrangement, the pulling grip housing 130 canalso easily be removed from the pulling grip sleeve 128 at any timedesired by pushing the pulling grip housing 130 into the pulling gripsleeve 128 such that the force causes the protrusions 168 to slip pastthe protrusions 164A, 164B in the third portion 182 of the lockingchannel 174 to unlock the pulling grip housing 130 from the pulling gripsleeve 128. Thus, in this arrangement, no fasteners are required to lockand release the pulling grip housing 130 from the pulling grip sleeve128.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the pulling grip 120and one embodiment of the pulling grip sleeve 128. FIG. 12 illustratesan assembled perspective view of the pulling grip 120 of FIG. 11. Asillustrated therein, one or more slots 190 may be disposed within anouter body 192 of the pulling grip sleeve 128. Providing slots 190provides greater bending flexibility in the pulling grip sleeve 128without risking breakage. This may be useful if the pulling grip sleeve128 must be sharply bent when pulling the fiber optic assembly 121. Inthis embodiment, the slots 190 are located around the circumference ofthe pulling grip sleeve 128, illustrated as being located alonglongitudinal axes A₁, A₂ of the pulling grip sleeve 128 in FIG. 11, sothat slots 190 provide flexibility in bending of the pulling grip sleeve128 no matter which way it is bent.

A pulling feature 200 is provided on a second end 177 of the pullinggrip sleeve 128 to allow a rope, string, or other device to attach tothe pulling grip sleeve 128 and thus pull the fiber optic cable 122 asdesired. In this example, the pulling feature 200 is provided in theform of a pulling loop 202; however, other variations can be provided,including but not limited to the pulling features illustrated in FIGS.6A-6C and previously described above.

FIGS. 13A-13D illustrate an alternate pulling grip 220 that may also beemployed to secure and pull a fiber optic assembly. In this alternatepulling grip 220, a pulling grip housing 222 and a pulling grip sleeve224 are provided that have a similar design to the pulling gripassemblies 10, 120 in FIGS. 1 and 8, respectively. The pulling gripsleeve 224 has an annular cross-section, as illustrated in FIG. 13D,that receives the pulling grip housing 222, wherein the pulling griphousing 222 is disposed about and closed around a fiber optic assembly.However, the locking features between the pulling grip housing 222 andthe pulling grip sleeve 224 in FIGS. 13A-13D are reversed in orientationfrom the pulling grip assemblies 10, 120 in FIGS. 1 and 8, respectively.In this regard, a housing locking feature 225 is provided in the form ofone or more locking channels 226. The locking channels 226 are disposedin an outer body 228 of the pulling grip housing 222 on a second end 230opposite a first end 231 of the pulling grip housing 222 that receives afiber optic cable as illustrated in FIGS. 13B and 13C. If the pullinggrip housing 222 is comprised of a first housing portion 237 and asecond housing portion 239, as provided in the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 13A-13D, the locking channels 226 can be disposed in both housingportions 237, 239.

As illustrated in FIGS. 13A and 13D, a sleeve locking feature 229 isprovided in the form of one or more protrusions 232 disposed inside aninternal cavity 233 disposed in an outer body 234 of the pulling gripsleeve 224, as illustrated in FIG. 13D. Each protrusion 232 isconfigured to cooperate with a locking channel 226 when a first end 235of the pulling grip sleeve 224 is inserted into the second end 230 ofthe pulling grip housing 222. Each protrusion 232 is inserted into acorresponding locking channel 226 where either the pulling grip sleeve224 or the pulling grip housing 222 can be rotated about the other tolock and release the pulling grip sleeve 224 with the pulling griphousing 222. Thus, the housing locking feature 225 and the sleevelocking feature 229 operate similar to the locking features the pullinggrip assemblies 10, 120 in FIGS. 1 and 8, respectively, except that thelocking channels 226 and corresponding protrusions 232 are reversed inorientation in the pulling grip 220 of FIGS. 13A-13D.

FIGS. 14A-14E illustrate another pulling grip 250 that may be employedto secure and pull a fiber optic assembly. In this embodiment, analternate locking feature is provided for a pulling grip housing 252 anda pulling grip sleeve 254 in the form of a pin and slot arrangement. Asillustrated in perspective view in FIG. 14A, the pulling grip housing252 is comprised of a first housing portion 256 and a second housingportion 258. A housing locking feature 260 in the form of one or morenotched portions 262 is provided in the pulling grip housing 252. Thenotched portions 262 are formed or disposed in outer bodies 264, 266 ofthe first housing portion 256 and the second housing portion 258,respectively, and on a first end 267 of the pulling grip housing 252 andprovide access to one or more slots 268 disposed between two notchedportions 262 as illustrated in FIG. 14A and the side view of the pullinggrip housing 252 in FIG. 14C. The slots 268 are formed alonglongitudinal axes A₃, A₄ through the pulling grip housing 252 and areconfigured to receive pins therethrough to secure the pulling gripsleeve 254 to the pulling grip housing 252, as discussed in more detailbelow. The notched portions 262 provide the first end 267 of the pullinggrip housing 252 with a generally cross-shape.

As illustrated in FIG. 14B, a sleeve locking feature 270 in the form ofone or more notched portions 272 are provided in an outer body 274 on afirst end 276 of the pulling grip sleeve 254. The pulling grip sleeve254 has an annular cross-section, as illustrated in FIG. 14B, thatreceives the pulling grip housing 252, wherein the pulling grip housing252 is disposed about and closed around a fiber optic assembly. Slots277 are disposed in each notched portion 272 as illustrated in FIGS. 14Band 14D. In this manner, pins can be inserted into the slots 277 alongthe longitudinal axes A₅, A₆ of the slots 277 when the pulling griphousing 252 is inserted into the pulling grip sleeve 254. The pullinggrip housing 252 is aligned with the pulling grip sleeve 254 in order toinsert the pulling grip housing 252 into the pulling grip sleeve 254 asillustrated in FIG. 14C. Thus, when the pulling grip housing 252 isinserted into a complementary cross-shaped opening 278 disposed in theouter body 274 of the pulling grip sleeve 254, as illustrated in FIG.14E, the slots 277 disposed the pulling grip sleeve 254 are aligned withthe slots 268 disposed in the pulling grip housing 252. When aligned,the longitudinal axes A₃, A₄ of the slots 268 disposed in the pullinggrip housing 252 are aligned with the longitudinal axes A₅, A₆ of theslots 277 disposed in the pulling grip sleeve 254. The pulling gripsleeve 254 can then be secured or locked to the pulling grip housing 252by inserting pins 280 into the aligned slots 277, 268. The slots 277,268 and the pins 280 may be threaded in a complementary manner such thatthe pins 280 screw into the slots 277, 268. Attachment devices otherthan pins can be used, and such do not have to be threaded.

FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate another pulling grip 290 that may beemployed to pull a fiber optic assembly. In this embodiment, analternate locking feature is provided for a pulling grip sleeve 292 anda pulling grip housing 294 of the pulling grip 290. As illustratedtherein, the pulling grip sleeve 292 has an annular cross-section forreceiving the pulling grip housing 294. The pulling grip housing 294 isdisposed about and closed around a fiber optic assembly such as thefurcation plug as discussed herein. An inner surface 296 of the pullinggrip sleeve 292 contains a female threaded portion 298 on a first end300. The pulling grip housing 294 contains a male threaded portion 302on a first end 304 on the outer body 306 of the pulling grip housing294. However, note that alternatively, the pulling grip sleeve 292 couldbe configured to contain a male threaded portion on its first end 300and the pulling grip housing 294 could be configured to contain a femalethreaded portion on its first end 304. To insert and lock the pullinggrip housing 294 to the pulling grip sleeve 292, the male threadedportion 302 of the pulling grip housing 294 is inserted into an opening308 on the first end 300 of the pulling grip sleeve 292. Either thepulling grip housing 294 or the pulling grip sleeve 292 can be rotatedabout the other in the orientation of the threaded portions 298, 302 totighten the connection. FIG. 16 depicts another variation of a pullinggrip housing 394 where the first housing portion 396 and the secondhousing portion 398 are hingedly attached together, thereby creatingfewer loose parts for the craft.

Other variations of the pulling grip disclosed herein are also possible.For instance, the pulling grip housing can omit the locking feature withthe pulling grip sleeve and provide the anti-rotation feature in otherways. By way of example, FIG. 17 depicts a perspective exploded view ofa pulling grip 400 that is similar to other embodiments having a pullinggrip sleeve 418 and a pulling grip housing 420. Pulling grip housing 420is comprised of a first housing portion 422 that is configured to matewith a second housing portion 424. An internal cavity 426 is formedinside the pulling grip housing 420 above for receiving the furcationplug 416 as disclosed in one or more of the embodiments described. Byway of example, internal cavity 426 may include one or more notches orrecesses that are tailored for fitting with the profile of the furcationbody of the fiber optic assembly for transferring pulling forcesthereto. In other embodiments, the first housing portion 422 may behingedly attached or connected together in a suitable fashion to thesecond housing portion 424 to use fewer parts and/or reduce the risk ofmisplacing a portion of the pulling grip housing.

In this embodiment, the pulling grip housing 420 does not have a lockingfeature with pulling grip sleeve 418. However, pulling grip 400 stillprovides an anti-rotation feature for the fiber optic assembly 11 beingpulling in by the craft. Specifically, the anti-rotation feature isprovided by the friction fit between the outer portion of the pullinggrip housing 420 and a portion of the inner surface of the pulling gripsleeve 418. The friction fit between the pulling grip housing 420 andthe inner surface of pulling grip sleeve 418 advantageously inhibitstwisting of fiber optic assembly 11 within the sleeve duringinstallation. Pulling grip housing 420 is also shown with a ribbedconstruction (not numbered), which advantageously reduces the amount ofmaterial compared with a similarly sized part.

Pulling grip sleeve 418 is shown as a corrugated tube (i.e., ridges) forproviding flexibility, but other types of pulling grip sleeves arepossible. For instance, the use of a smooth wall tube is possible or amodular tube as disclosed herein. Other variations for the pulling griphousing, the fiber optic assembly, and the like may be incorporated intothis embodiment as disclosed.

Because there is not a locking feature, pulling grip 400 uses a pullingsock 106 or the like placed over the pulling grip sleeve 418, therebyallowing the craft to attach a fish tape or line to the pulling sockloop 112 for pulling the fiber optic assembly into place. Simply stated,the distal end of pulling sock 106 is necked down such as with a conicalportion 108 for engaging with the a portion of the pulling grip housingand/or pulling grip sleeve so that the pulling force is transferred tothe furcation body/strength members or other suitable portion of thefiber optic assembly 11. In use, an end portion of fiber optic assembly11 such as the furcation body is placed within the pulling grip housing420 such as discussed in one of the several embodiments above. Next, theconnectorized end of the fiber optic assembly is inserted into thepulling grip sleeve 418 so that a portion of the pulling grip housing420 fits within the pulling grip sleeve 418. Unlike conventional pullinggrips, the pulling grip housings disclosed only fit over a small portionof fiber optic assembly 11. In other words, the pulling grip housingdoes not fit over the connectors of fiber optic assembly 11, therebyallowing a flexible pulling grip. Additionally, the connectorized end offiber optic assembly 11 may include a protective layer such as a plasticwrap or the like and to aid the insertion into the pulling grip sleeve.Thereafter, the assembly is placed within the pulling sock 106 so thatthe conical portion 108 of the pulling sock 106 engages pulling griphousing 420 and then is properly secured thereabout. Consequently, thecraft can route and attach a fish tape or line to loop 112 of pullingsock 106 for installation. Furthermore, any of the embodiments discussedherein can be assembled and packaged on a reel in the factory for quickand easy deployment in the field.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theinvention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. For example, thesemodifications include, but are not limited to, different types of fiberoptic assemblies including fiber optic components that may or may notinclude a furcation plug, varied fiber count and diameter of a fiberoptic cable and/or furcated legs received by the pulling grip, variousdiameters, lengths and/or sizes of the pulling grip, including thepulling grip housing and pulling grip sleeve, different manufacturingtechniques for producing the pulling grip components, including thepulling grip housing and pulling grip sleeve, including but not limitedto injection molding or extrusion, blow molding, machining, etc. anddifferent types of materials used to construct the pulling grip, such aspolyurethane foam and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), other suitable polymers,metals such as steel, braided hose, etc.

Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to belimited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications andother embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of theappended claims. It is intended that the present invention cover themodifications and variations of this invention provided they come withinthe scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Althoughspecific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic anddescriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pulling grip assembly comprising: a furcatedfiber optic assembly including a furcation body having one or morefurcation legs with a connectorized end extending from the furcationbody; a pulling grip housing having a first housing portion and secondhousing portion defining an internal cavity with the furcation body ofthe fiber optic assembly being disposed in the internal cavity, whereinthe pulling grip housing does not fit over the connectorized end of theone or more furcation legs; a pulling grip sleeve being a corrugatedtube defining an internal chamber, wherein the connectorized end of theone or more furcation legs are disposed in the internal chamber of thepulling grip sleeve, and further wherein the pulling grip housing fitswithin a portion of the pulling grip sleeve and has a friction fit withthe pulling grip sleeve for inhibiting rotation between the pulling griphousing and the pulling grip sleeve; and a pulling sock disposed aboutthe pulling grip sleeve and furcation body so that the pulling gripsleeve and furcation body are retained inside the pulling sock.
 2. Thepulling grip assembly of claim 1, the pulling sock having a pullingfeature and a zipper.
 3. The pulling grip assembly of claim 1, whereinthe first housing portion and the second housing portion are connectedtogether.
 4. The pulling grip assembly of claim 1, wherein either thefirst housing portion or the second housing portion includes an internalcompartment disposed within the internal cavity and configured to cradlepart of a fiber optic assembly.
 5. The pulling grip assembly of claim 4,wherein the internal compartment does not cradle an attachment featureor securing devices for a furcation body.
 6. The pulling grip assemblyof claim 4, wherein the internal compartment defines at least onecompartment configured to receive at least one attachment feature of afurcation housing disposed in the fiber optic assembly.
 7. The pullinggrip assembly of claim 6, wherein the internal compartment furtherdefines at least one compartment configured to receive at least oneattachment device of the at least one attachment feature.
 8. The pullinggrip assembly of claim 7, wherein the at least one attachment device isat least one plunger.
 9. The pulling grip assembly of claim 1, whereinthe first housing portion and the second housing portion have a ribbedconstruction.